Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building) is always free — general admission never costs anything. Required: a free timed-entry ticket, reserved online up to 30 days ahead (individuals can book up to 20). Free same-day tickets are released daily at 9 a.m. ET. Groups of 21 or more must use the group request form, up to 60 days ahead. Thursday 5 p.m. entry for Live! at the Library also needs a free timed ticket. Verified on Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building)'s own page, last checked 2026-10-02.
| Free day | Always free |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Everyone |
| Reservation | Required: a free timed-entry ticket, reserved online up to 30 days ahead (individuals can book up to 20). Free same-day tickets are released daily at 9 a.m. ET. Groups of 21 or more must use the group request form, up to 60 days ahead. Thursday 5 p.m. entry for Live! at the Library also needs a free timed ticket. |
| What's included | Thomas Jefferson Building: the Great Hall and exhibitions, including the Treasures gallery. Open Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays and select federal holidays. |
| Regular adult price | $0 — always free |
| Source | loc.gov · checked 2026-10-02 |
Library of Congress doesn't need savings math — the ticket line is free for everyone, every open day. Budget for the rest instead: thomas Jefferson Building: the Great Hall and exhibitions, including the Treasures gallery. Open Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays and select federal holidays..
Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building) doesn't need a calendar — general admission is free every day it's open, which changes how you plan compared with a free-day museum. There's no crowd spike to dodge and no reservation race — though note the entry mechanics: required: a free timed-entry ticket, reserved online up to 30 days ahead (individuals can book up to 20). Free same-day tickets are released daily at 9 a.m. ET. Groups of 21 or more must use the group request form, up to 60 days ahead. Thursday 5 p.m. entry for Live! at the Library also needs a free timed ticket.. The date that matters here isn't an admission date at all: it's whichever ticketed special exhibition you might want to add, since those (thomas Jefferson Building: the Great Hall and exhibitions, including the Treasures gallery. Open Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays and select federal holidays.) run on their own schedules and prices.
Regular tickets ($0 — always free) are on loc.gov — skip third-party sellers, the official price is the floor. Already a member somewhere else? Our reciprocity lookup checks whether that card covers admission here.
National Gallery of Art (always free) · Smithsonian Museums & National Zoo (always free) · Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (always free) · Smithsonian's National Zoo (always free) · National Air and Space Museum (always free) · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (National Air and Space Museum) (always free) · Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (always free) · National Museum of American History (always free) — or see the full free museum days in Washington guide.
Washington's free-day calendar, condensed to one email a month — verified dates and resident rules only.
↥ Check another museum → Browse all free museum & zoo days →
Entry to the Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building is always free, but you need a free timed-entry ticket. Tickets open online 30 days ahead, and a fresh batch of free same-day tickets is released every day at 9 a.m. ET.
Required: a free timed-entry ticket, reserved online up to 30 days ahead (individuals can book up to 20). Free same-day tickets are released daily at 9 a.m. ET. Groups of 21 or more must use the group request form, up to 60 days ahead. Thursday 5 p.m. entry for Live! at the Library also needs a free timed ticket.
Thomas Jefferson Building: the Great Hall and exhibitions, including the Treasures gallery. Open Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays and select federal holidays.
$0 — always free. That figure is the payoff for planning around the free day.
Yes — general admission is free for all visitors, every open day, no residency requirement. Thomas Jefferson Building: the Great Hall and exhibitions, including the Treasures gallery. Open Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed Sundays, Mondays and select federal holidays..